Lake Effect Coffee Company — Restaurant in West Allis

There are lots of coffee shops, and there are some that are very good. This was my first time at Lake Effect and I was very impressed. Will definitely be back.

It's an old shaped space, due to it's location at the intersection of national and greenfield. It's long and narrow, which allows more private/cozy seating areas, and there is plenty of light. It has a clean, modern feel to it.

It was Saturday, late morning, and there were a few other people there. After entering, got an immediate greeting by both the barista and the person at the register. Sure, it wasn't busy, but after meeting these two, I suspect that they go out of their way to warmly/sincerely greet everyone.

I ordered a London Fog Latte, and they made it perfectly to my order (a little vanilla, a little lavender, and extra foam). They prepared it in a glass mug, and I swear, it was a work of art. I also had a walnut cranberry scone. They offered to warm it up, which took several minutes in the toaster oven (better than a microwave), and it was worth the wait. The scone was an "actual" scone. Not one of other muffins, or breads that try to disguise themselves as a scone. This was a little crusty on the outside (with Turbinado sugar), dry, and somewhat crumbly. (I asked and apparently they get these from "City Market", where I have also had good bakery). I know that I have spent a long paragraph on my order, but hey, this is why some of search out for a good coffee shop experience.

We had a group of four, and found a quiet spot towards the rear. Other people showed up around us, but everyone seemed to be mindful of their voices.

A super first time experience. Definitely a place that I would come...

So I liked the vibe inside. Good layout. Good views. Good lighting. The guy taking the order got a little confused. No big deal. The guy making the drinks. Let’s start here. It’s a Saturday. It’s like 830am. There’s one drink a head of ours. Maybe like half a dozen behind us in line. We ordered 4 drinks. 2 hot 2 cold. After waiting for ever and watching the barista be super distracted just talking to some friend hanging there drinking his coffee. He finally calls the name for our order. One hot drink and three cold drinks so wrong I’m like can you tell me what all of these are. None of them are labeled. So he grabs the receipt and immediately hits me with major attitude and tells me what they are and I can see it he realizes the one is suppose to be hot and says yeah that’s the butter pecan one you’re good. So my girl said no we’re not that was suppose to be warm. We were already held up so much I didn’t care and just took it but was so easily dismissed by the dude after who was now being distracted by some other idiot standing there distracting him.

Also the coffee wasn’t even that great and I am not rude. I was in the service industry 15 years up until a year ago. At a place that had an espresso bar. It’s not hard. This dude was just...

The lattes are very tasty and rich, with very little bitterness to the coffee. I tried a hand pie and it was moist and delicious, with real fruit inside. They also offer specialty seasonal drinks which are pretty creative. The banana bread latte was delicious, had the right amount of sweetness to it, but I wish the "banana bread," flavor came out a bit more.

The dine-in experience could use some work. I expected it to be a little cooler, as it got very hot on a Sunday morning with many people here. The latte came in a paper cup, which I would only expect for a to-go order, as the pictures show latte art in a ceramic coffee cup. I did appreciate that they brought the coffee out to me though. The ambiance was nice for how small it is. They have many little tables. I wish the wooden seats were padded, but that's a minor issue. The space also has three sofa chairs for a more comfortable seat, but I imagine they are always taken, as they were on this day. There was no outdoor seating available.

Overall I would come here again for the coffee and treats, but I might take them...